


Life

by TRCelyne



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, I'm mixing up a bit of canon stuff, POV Third Person, Pregnancy, everyone's gonna be there as the story goes on, this happens after yoosung's good ending + valentine's day events
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-01
Updated: 2018-05-17
Packaged: 2019-03-25 14:45:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13836963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TRCelyne/pseuds/TRCelyne
Summary: Nine months. Nine months and he'll become a father.(A fluffy journey through pregnancy)





	1. First Month

            The scent of food filled the apartment, waking MC up from her deep sleep. She patted the space next to her lazily, her eyes still closed, in search for her husband. The sheets were cold under her fingers, and she concluded he must have been up for a while already. She sat up and stretched with a loud yawn, chasing the last bits of sleep out of her system, before standing and tottering to the window. She opened the red curtains and put the blind up, leaving the window panes open to ventilate the bedroom.

            Guided by the smell of bacon and eggs, she made her way to the kitchen, rubbing her eyes. The table was already set, with toasts, butter and jams, steam was starting to come out of the electric kettle, and Yoosung was standing, his back to her, busy pouring scrambled eggs in two white plates.

 

“Good morning, honey.” MC said as she wrapped her arms around his waist, nuzzling between his shoulder blades with a pleased sigh. He was so warm.

“Good morning, sweetheart.” He replied, and she could imagine the smile stretching his lips through his words.

 

            He put the pan away and turned around to face her, his hands already in her hair to pull her into a gentle good morning kiss.

 

“Breakfast is ready.” He added “I was about to wake you up actually.”

“Oh, maybe I should go back to bed and wait for you to bring me food?” She giggled.

“And take the risk of throwing all that greasy food on the sheets? No way.” He laughed, then kissed her forehead as he lead her to the table to make her sit down “I prepared a salty breakfast for a change, I hope you’re okay with it?”

“Of course I am.” MC replied while sitting on the wooden chair and crossing her arms on the table.

 

            She watched him pour the hot water in their respective cups - a sky blue one for him and a red one with white polka dots for her – steam fogging his glasses in the process. He giggled and paused to take them off, before resuming his work. She watched him as he walked back to the counter to put the pan and the bowl he had used to cook in the sink, then came back with the plates. Yoosung had gotten better at cooking with the years, and despite all the work he had at the clinic, he always took time to cook for her. Especially since cooking wasn’t MC’s forte. She was fine with baking cakes, but all the rest remained a complete mystery to her.

            Yoosung sat down in front of her and gave her a warm smile. He took one of her hands, uncrossing her arms in the process, and laced their fingers. Whenever she looked at him, she felt pride and love take over her. She was proud of the person he had become, proud to be by his side, and terribly, madly in love with him.

 

“Something wrong?” He asked, tilting his head to the side. Even with the years, he was still a puppy in some ways.

“No, why?”

“Your eyes are shining.”

MC smiled fondly at him “I just remembered how much I love you.”

 

            He chuckled, his cheeks turning faintly red, and let her hand go to stir his tea. She grabbed a couple of toasts and spread butter on it, as they started talking about what they would do of their weekend. Despite the mid-October weather, days were still warm and they could go for a car ride somewhere nice. It had been a while since they had gone for a walk together, and the idea pleased her a lot. They spent the rest of their meal trying to find somewhere to go, Yoosung scrolling through internet on his phone to get inspired.

            Once they were done, he went to look in the cupboard under the sink for Lisa’s kibble, and poured some into the cat’s bowl as she rubbed her head against his right leg with a purr. MC took the dishes to the sink and started cleaning them, humming a random song.

 

            Yoosung jumped in surprise when he heard the plates fall in the sink with a clatter, and turned around, barely getting the time to see his wife dash out of the kitchen. He put the bag at his feet and followed her, slightly worried.

 

“MC?”

 

            He heard her from the toilets, and ran to her side to hold her hair as she was throwing up her breakfast. He whispered reassuring words and rubbed a hand on her back in attempt to soothe the spasms of her body. Her knuckles were white from clutching the toilet bowl, and her eyes teary. She coughed a couple more times and finally relaxed, panting faintly.

 

“Are you feeling better?” Yoosung asked with a soft voice.

“Yeah…” she mumbled, catching her breath.

“You okay?”

“Yeah… maybe something was off with the food.”

“I ate exactly the same and I’m fine though.”

“Could you get me a glass of water, please?” she whispered, slouching against the wall next to her. These toilets were way too small, it felt like the walls were closing in and suffocating her.

“I’ll be right back.” He said as he stood up.

 

            She probably had caught something. Or maybe there was indeed something in the food, but that Yoosung had managed to digest just fine. The eggs maybe? Eggs could be dangerous when not fresh. But they had gone grocery shopping just a couple of days before, so it couldn’t be that.

 

“I guess it’s just a one time thing.” She mumbled to herself.

 

\--

 

Unfortunately, it was not just a one time thing.

 

            After the nausea had passed, the day had been perfectly fine. She had not felt sick at all, and thus concluded it had been, indeed, because of the food. But the following morning, she had found herself crouching above the toilets again, Yoosung by her side to brush her bangs away from her sweaty face. He had advised her to go see a doctor, but clinics were all closed on Sundays and she didn’t want to go to the hospital. She couldn’t bother a doctor with something as trivial as throwing up her breakfast twice in a row, when other people were in real danger.

Monday morning was no exception. Except that she had not eaten anything yet, her stomach spasming over nothing and making her throat burn from spitting bile.

 

“I’m starting to get really worried, MC” Yoosung said, as he handed her a glass of fresh water.

She took a sip, and rested her forehead against the cold material of the toilet bowl “I don’t understand what’s going on.”

“Does your stomach ache?”

 

She shook her head weakly.

 

“What about your head?”

“Nope…”

“Did you get diarrhea over the weekend?”

“Yoosung, that’s not a gastro-enteritis.” She lifted her head to drink again, and sighed as she rested against the toilets again “I feel perfectly fine during the day, I just get sick on mornings.”

 

They both remained silent, letting the words sink in.

Sick on mornings.

Sickness. Mornings.

 

MC slowly lifted her head, realisation crawling its way through her mind. Could it be…? She turned to her husband, whose mouth was slightly agape and purple widened eyes shining. He gasped, but she cut him before he could speak.

 

“Don’t jump to conclusions, Yoosung.” MC advised. She could feel her heart starting to beat faster.

“But what if it’s real?” He chirped enthusiastically.

“And what if it isn’t? You’re going to be disappointed, honey.”

He passed his hand through her hair, playing with the strands above her nape “Don’t be so pessimistic, love.”

“I just don’t want you to get your hopes up for nothing.”

“But maybe it’s not just nothing.”

 

            With all the times they had talked about the matter, getting pregnant out of the blue was still surprising. They did not use protection anymore and she had stopped taking the pill, but nothing had happened yet.

 

“I’m going to buy a pregnancy test, just in case.” She said before finishing her glass and putting in on the ground.

“You should stay at home today, though.” Yoosung suggested, gathering her hair and combing it with his fingers.

“What for? I’m okay.”

He made her turn around to look at him “Take the morning off, at least?”

 

God, she could not resist that look.

 

“You’re using your puppy eyes, Yoosung! It’s not fair!” She whined with a pout.

He giggled and kissed her forehead before helping her stand up “I’ll drop by the café on my way to tell Jaehee that you don’t feel good and that you’ll be back this afternoon.”

 

\--

 

            MC had been waiting in front of the pharmacy for twenty minutes before it finally opened. Better get it over with as fast as possible. It was starting to drive her crazy, not knowing what was happening – or not – in her stomach. The pharmacist had given her an encouraging look when she noticed her fidgeting with her wedding ring – something she always did when she felt nervous – and had given her two boxes as asked, but had not made any comment.

 

            And now MC was sitting on the toilets, desperately waiting for the small screen to display a result. She checked the instructions several times to make sure she wouldn’t misunderstand.

 

Two lines.

She looked at the instructions again, then back at the test.

Two lines.

It was positive.

 

            Her chest tightened and her heart started racing. No way. She couldn’t be. She quickly pulled her pants up, leaving everything on spot, and ran to Yoosung’s office. Not paying attention to the messy state it was in – he tidied it once in a blue moon anyway – she rushed to his desk and pulled out the cardboard calendar from under it. She always wrote down her periods on it, tracing a line with arrows at each end, to keep an eye on her cycles and make sure everything was fine. She counted the weeks on her fingers.

She was a week and a half late. That was not a lot, yet still enough to make her doubt. She let out a sigh.

 

“I guess I’ll have to chug another litre of tea.”

 

\--

 

“Honey, are you home?” Yoosung asked as he closed the entrance door behind him.

 

            He almost never got home for lunch, preferring to stay at the clinic to catch up on his paperwork, but he had felt nervous the entire morning, his right leg bouncing without stopping under his desk while he was sitting at his computer. He hung his jacket on the coat rail next to the door, calling her again.

 

“I’m in the kitchen.”

 

            MC’s voice sounded off, making him worry a bit. He walked to the kitchen, and saw her sitting at the table, facing away from the door. Yoosung knelt by her side and she turned her head to look at him with a small smile.

 

“Are you alright?” He asked as he took one of her hands between his.

“Yeah…” Her gaze fell on the ring on his left hand “I… I went to the pharmacy. I bought pregnancy tests.”

Yoosung’s excitement started to show on his face as he held her hand tighter “And???”

 

MC grabbed the two tests on the table and handed them to him. Both of them had two lines displayed on their screen, but he was not sure about what it meant.

 

“I’m pregnant, Yoosung.”

 

His eyes widened as a bright smile slowly stretched his lips. He whispered a small _oh my god_ before grabbing her face with both hands and pulling her into a kiss, the tests falling on the floor with a small clatter. When he broke it, his eyes were full of happy tears.

 

“For real?? Is this really real??” He asked, resting his forehead against hers.

“It is really real.” She chuckled weakly.

His smile slowly faded “You don’t seem happy about it. Are you… Do you want… Are you willing to keep it? Because I’ll respect your decision if you want to-”

“Of course I do.” She cut him, brushing his bangs away from his face and kissing him again “I just… I wonder if I’m fit to be a mother.”

 

Yoosung stood up and pulled her up from her chair, before catching her into his arms and spinning her around. She giggled and rested her hands on each side of his neck.

 

“Of course you are.” He said, leaving small kisses in her neck and collarbones “You’ll be the best mother ever. I’m sure of it!! I can’t wait to see you with a round belly, so I can rest my head on it and hear the baby… Oh, and we’re going to need to move out too. We need a bigger place. And a garden! I can’t let our child walk in circles in the apartment, they need a garden to spend time in!! Also you’ll have to be careful at the café, I forbid you to lift anything too heavy for you! Oh, and we have to check what kind of food you have to avoid. And names! We have to think about na-“

“Yoosungyoosungyoosung~” MC hummed as she squeezed his cheeks with both hands in attempt to stop him “You’re getting carried away honey.”

“How many weeksh?” He mumbled nonetheless with a faint frown.

“Three and a half.”

 

\--

 

“Yoosung, you’re making that stupid smile again.”

“Sorry babe, I just can’t get used to the fact I’m going to be a _father_.”

“…I love you.”

“I love you too.”


	2. Second Month

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Are you going back home alone today?” She asked while sipping her coffee.
> 
> “No, Yoosung is coming to pick me up, we’re going grocery shopping together.” Her friend replied.
> 
> “He seems to be more worried than the usual, is something the matter?”
> 
> MC raised an eyebrow “Does he?”
> 
> “I don’t know, he seems… He seems to be even more careful around you than the usual.” She shrugged “Maybe it’s just me.”

            Jumin had not expected the doorbell to ring. Actually, he was not expecting any guests, and had a fair amount of work left to do despite the late hour. He gestured to the guard to check who it was nonetheless, while he took his suit jacket off and set it on a chair nearby.

 

“It’s Yoosung Kim, Sir.”

“Let him in.”

 

            He undid the buttons of his shirt sleeves and rolled them up neatly, waiting for his friend to join him in the living room. Yoosung seemed a bit nervous, looking around with his lips pinched – which Jumin had grown accustomed to, he never got used to the penthouse and always felt out of place whenever he visited him – and holding a plastic cage with paw stickers everywhere on it. He recognised the meowing of the Elisabeth 4th inside, name that his friends had irreverently shortened to Lisa, and raised a curious eyebrow at him.

 

“Hi Jumin.” He said, putting the cage down.

“Good evening, Yoosung. I didn’t expect your visit. What can I do for you?” Jumin replied, crossing his arms and giving the cat a quizzical glance.

“I have… a favour to ask you.” The veterinarian explained, scratching his neck.

“It’s uncommon of you to ask for favours.” The businessman commented “Actually, last time you asked me for a favour was when I asked you to take care of Elisabeth 4th in return.”

“Well… It’s about her actually.”

“That I had guessed.” He gestured to his couch, inviting him to follow “Please sit down. Would you like something to drink?”

Yoosung waved his hand “I’ll be fine, MC is waiting for me at home so I won’t stay long anyway” he let the cat free in the apartment, before sitting on the couch and undoing the zipper of his coat.

Jumin sat on the armchair facing the couch, crossing his legs and resting his elbows on the armrests “So? What do you want?”

“Could you please take care of Lisa for a few months? I’ll get her back sometime around June.”

 

Jumin did not answer and raised an eyebrow at him, scanning Yoosung’s eyes in search for an explanation. Well, it was quicker to ask him what was on his mind.

 

“Why do you want me to do that?” He asked.

“Because I know you’ll treat her well. Jaehee has other things to do, Zen’s allergic, and Seven…I’d like my cat to keep her sanity, if you get what I mean.”

“That I understand, but what I meant is why do you need her away from you for such a long time?”

“Toxoplasmosis.”

“Uh?”

 

What, the cat was sick? Jumin frowned.

 

“I’m afraid I don’t understand, Yoosung. You have to be more specific.”

“Well… Uh…” He blushed and fidgeted with his zipper “I guess I can’t hide the truth from you… But you have to keep the secret, okay?”

“…Okay?”

“MC’s pregnant.”

 

Oh. That was unexpected. But pleasantly surprising. A warm smile stretched Jumin’s lips.

 

“Well, congratulations to both of you.”

“Thanks.” Yoosung patted Lisa on the head as she jumped on the couch to lean against his thigh with a low purr “She’s only six weeks pregnant, but I don’t want to take any risks. Having Lisa around increases the chances she gets toxoplasmosis, and that could be really dangerous for the baby.”

“You’re the veterinarian, so I trust you on this.”

“I don’t know how to repay you yet, so let me know if you need anything from me.”

“It’s fine.”

 

Yoosung blinked, his fingers stilling in Lisa’s fur.

 

“What?”

“What what?”

“What do you mean “it’s fine”? I thought agreements always worked on both ways for you. How come you’re so generous with me?”

“Mmh… consider it as a friendly gesture for your wife’s health. But if you really want to repay me, then just keep me updated.” Jumin let out a silent gasp, realisation hitting him “Oh, right, I’ll also get in touch with the country’s best gynecologists.”

“Jumin, I appreciate the thought, but you don’t need to go this far for us, really.” Yoosung mumbled, waving his hands in embarrassment.

“Please let me use my wealth for a good purpose, or at least my connections.”

 

A small silence fell between them, and Yoosung passed a hand in his blond hair before rearranging the glasses on his nose.

 

“Well…Thank you, Jumin. It means a lot to us.”

“I’ll do anything for the child of RFA.”

 

\--

 

“The child of RFA? He really said that?”

 

            Yoosung burst into laughter, his head tilting back and his arm tensing around MC’s shoulders as he pulled her closer to his chest. She giggled and rested her head against his heart, feeling the vibrations of his laugh on her cheek.

 

“He did!!”

“Maybe he thinks of himself as a father this way, somehow.” She thought out loud “You know, he’s still single but maybe he feels lonely. He probably wondered how it would feel like to be a father?”

“Mmh… I haven’t thought about that actually.” He said, looking at the ceiling pensively.

 

MC grabbed the TV remote and lowered the sound of the show playing. They weren’t watching it anymore anyway. She snuggled against his chest again as he absentmindedly brushed his hand along her spine, making her sigh in delight. Sitting on the comfortable couch after a long day was good, but cuddling with her husband on the comfortable couch after a long day was even better.

 

“I wonder what Rika would say.” Yoosung said after a while.

“About what?” MC whispered, closing her eyes.

“About you being pregnant.”

“She would be very happy, I’m sure of it.”

“Or she would lecture me on the fact that I have to be a responsible father, and then she would hug me.”

“Wait until we tell Seven and Zen” she chuckled “I can already imagine my spine cracking because they’ll crush me into a hug.”

“Right!” He laughed again.

 

            She rubbed her face on his chest, then stopped moving to listen to his heartbeat. He brushed his fingertips along her spine and side again, making her shiver ever so faintly. She tried to imagine how the future would be like; if moments like these would be kept for after their child was gone to bed, and how they would manage to be parents yet remain a couple with their privacy. She sighed. It was way too early to think about that. She felt Yoosung’s hand move to her neck, massaging the strands of hair above her nape to make her relax.

 

“Is there something preoccupying you?” He asked, turning his head to look at her.

“No, I was just enjoying the cuddly moment.” She replied, lifting her head and resting her chin on the v of his collarbone “Although…”

“Although?”

“I miss Lisa already.” She pouted.

Yoosung smiled fondly at her and gave her a quick kiss “We discussed it, honey. You know it’s not reasonable to have her around for the time being.”

“It’s just that…I feel like something’s missing. Usually she would have been purring on your lap already.”

 

A smirk made its way on his lips and he kept her still with the hand on her neck, as he bent down to whisper seductively in her ear.

 

“Do you want _me_ to purr instead?”

“God, Yoosung, you really have to stop with your weird pick-up lines.” She snorted.

 

She often complained, but somehow, his weird pick-up lines always worked on her.

 

\--

 

            Jaehee said goodbye to her last customer and waited for them to go outside to lock the door behind him. She turned around and sighed, then stretched her arms as she walked back to the counter, where MC was busy counting their earnings of the day. She had graduated a couple of years before her husband, and Jaehee had accepted to hire her until she found something more related to her studies. But as time went on, she had grown to like the job and had decided to stay. Jaehee gathered her hair on her shoulder and put two clean cups under the coffee maker, and prepared two cappuccinos. Once the loud roaring of the machine stopped, she grabbed the cups and walked to MC, offering one to her while gently blowing on the other.

 

“You did a great work today” she commented.

“You did a great work too.” MC replied as she put the rest of the cash she was counting in the metal box next to the cashier – that Jaehee would bring back to her place afterwards – and closed the later with a bump of the hip. She took the cup from her hands and warmed hers on it “Thanks for the coffee.”

“You’re welcome.”

 

            They always enjoyed a cup of coffee – or tea, depending on the days – after they had closed the café. It was their shared moment, when they could finally relax before cleaning everything up and preparing for the next day. MC walked to one of the tables and slumped on a chair with sigh of relief, careful of not dropping her reward of the day. Jaehee followed her, though she sat in front of her with a bit more of self control.

 

“Are you going back home alone today?” She asked while sipping her coffee.

“No, Yoosung is coming to pick me up, we’re going grocery shopping together.” Her friend replied.

“He seems to be more worried than the usual, is something the matter?”

MC raised an eyebrow “Does he?”

“I don’t know, he seems… He seems to be even more careful around you than the usual.” She shrugged “Maybe it’s just me.”

 

She did not notice MC’s crooked grin as she drank her cappuccino.

 

\--

 

“Put it back.”

“But Yoosuung~”

“I said, put it back, MC.”

 

            Mc pouted and mumbled something incoherent as she put the camembert back on the shelf. Her husband was determined to take care of her in every possible way, including paying attention to the health risks she could face. Meaning no cats, no alcohol, no cheese. Alcohol, she could handle; she only drank occasionally, occasionally meaning champagne during RFA parties. Cats were a bit harder to live without, especially since she had gotten used to live with one for a few years already. But damn did she love French cheese. She grabbed his sleeve and tugged on it, giving him a pleading look.

 

“Please, sweetiiie~.” She whined, her eyelashes fluttering.

He blushed faintly and patted the top of her head “Don’t pull the “puppy eyes” card on me, you know I’m the king of that game, darling.”

“Come on, just this once! I didn’t get to say my goodbyes to cheese for the next eight months!” She begged, getting on her tiptoes to kiss his chin “Please?”

 

            She knew from his frown that she had already won. He was battling against himself, torn between the fact they had to be reasonable and careful for their child’s safety, and the fact that saying proper goodbyes to camembert was _a good argument_. After all, he had made his last game of LOLOL a celebration, split up all of his items between the members of his guild, and left the game with great pomp. All of his internet friends were there to bid him farewell – or at least goodbye, since his guilty pleasure was to log in a couple of times a year – so he knew how important it was to let go of something one loved with at least a tiny bit of symbolism. In the end, what was the difference between him giving up on his favourite game and her giving up on her favourite food?”

 

“Fine.” He sighed in defeat “But after that, no more cheese until delivery.”

“Yes!! Thank you, babe!” She pecked his lips and skipped back to the shelf to grab the cheese, lifting it up in the air with a victory cry.

 

\--

 

            God did she actually enjoy her cheese. She had decided to eat a piece only during dinners, so it could last a bit more than the usual. Yoosung had laughed at her determination, but had not tried to take the guilty pleasure away from her.

 

“You know,” she said one evening while chewing her camembert “I’m still amazed about how seriously you take this.”

He lifted his eyes to look at her, while he kept on removing the traces of yoghurt left on the foil paper with his spoon “What do you mean?”

“The pregnancy. You checked every single thing that could be potentially dangerous for me. It’s borderline pampering.”

“Well, a man has to do everything for his beloved.” He raised an eyebrow at her when he noticed her cringing “What?”

“That “a man does this, a man does that” thing… It’s… How should I put it… Getting on my nerves actually.”

“Uh?” He seemed genuinely surprised “Don’t you like it when I prove you I’m a man?”

“Here we go again.” She sighed, rolling her eyes “Yoosung, I don’t know what you’re trying to prove, honestly. Like, I understand that you thought your behaviour was childish when we met, but I fell in love with the cute Yoosung who spent his nights playing LOLOL, tried in vain to be mad at me and Luciel when we pulled a prank on him, who wore enamel pins and badges on his worn out school bag...” He opened his mouth to protest but she shook her head “Let me finish, please. What I mean is that you have nothing to prove to me. You’re my _husband_. I chose you for better and for worse, and this whole “I want to show you I’m a man” thing is truly stupid. It’s just… toxic masculinity. There’s no such thing as being or not being a man, you know? Being an adult, maybe – and I’m not even sure of that – and so what?” she groaned and finished her cheese in one go, then passed a hand in her hair “I love you the way you are, I always did, and even when you did your best to change to become worthy of me… you already were before. God, does that even make sense?”

He pinched his lips, his expression showing both worry and pain “I… I think it does. I’m sorry.”

“When you went… _there_ with Luciel, I was so scared you’d never come back. But I believed in you, because you are brave. You had this courage hidden in you for so long, and you did your best to protect me...” She leaned over the table and brushed the tip of her thumb under his left eye, her voice starting to tremble as tears formed in her eyes “You got hurt because of me.”

“I got hurt _for_ you.” He corrected.

“And I don’t want that.” She whispered to prevent herself from bursting into tears “I want you to be by my side, not to be my knight in shining armour. You don’t know how much I hated playing the princess locked in that apartment when all I wanted was to come with you and do something. I felt so useless… I wish I could have stopped that guy before he took your sight.”

“I’m okay now, remember?” He said with a reassuring tone as he grabbed her hand and kissed its palm “I can see now.”

“You haven’t recovered your sight entirely, though.”

He shrugged “Enough to drive and work properly.”

She frowned “Don’t shrug it off.” She sat back on her chair and crossed her arms “You know what bothers me? Each time you do that “man” thing, I feel like shit. Like an object.”

His eyes widened “What?!”

“You heard me.” She wiped her eyes to get rid of her previous tears and continued “Remember that time when I got you new glasses before your surgery?”

“Yes?”

“You said that you” she quoted with her fingers “ _wanted to have a baby to prove you’re not one_. Like, do you know how bad I felt after that? Do you expect me to bear your children and stay at home when you’re outside in all your manly glory? That’s not how it works. I have needs and desires. I-“

“That’s not what I implied!” He said, standing up to go kneel by her side “I swear this is not what I meant! I just wanted… I wanted to show you you could rely on me, always! I’m sorry you misunderstood me.”

“So… she said, choking back a sob “You won’t try to prove something you don’t even have to prove in the first place anymore…?”

“I swear it.” He promised, cupping her cheeks with both hands and kissing her forehead “I love you, MC. I can’t wait for our child to be born and become a parent with you. I’ll work hard for us to be happy.”

“And support me?”

“Always.”

 

He sealed their promise with a gentle kiss on her lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last part was supposed to be slightly angsty but not THAT MUCH omg. I just threw the feelings I got in the after ending, when Yoosung said he wanted children to prove he wasn't one. I know he didn't mean wrong, but it just felt... The way he wants to prove he's a man - even during his route - felt strange to me, and I went like "dude you have nothing to prove to me I'm also a video game addicted 21yo college student who doesn't know what to do with her life and who doesn't understand what adulting is, we're in the same boat. Stop believing that a man has his life together." So yeah, at least I got the chance to say it for real.  
> Jumin might be slightly off character but oh well.


	3. Third Month

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Great speech, MC” Jumin complimented with a warm smile.
> 
> “For once I agree with him” Zen added, and winked at her “you look gorgeous, darling.”
> 
> “Thank you.” She replied with a bright smile.
> 
>  
> 
> The waiter handed her and her husband champagne, and she took the flute before Yoosung could say anything. He frowned faintly at her, and she made a face that clearly said “I’m just doing it for etiquette and no I won’t drink it please relax”, before focusing back on everyone and raising her glass.
> 
>  
> 
> “Congrats on making this party a success!” she chirped “To RFA, cheers!”
> 
> “Cheers!”

MC smoothed her dress in front of the mirror, and turned to check her profile. She had hesitated between several outfits, but had eventually settled for a white pencil dress that showed her shoulders, with constellations embroidered here and there with golden threads. She absentmindedly brushed her fingertips along her stomach, where a tiny bump had started to show. It could be easily mistaken for her putting a bit of weight on, which would eventually happen anyway, but a few weeks later it would become obvious that life was growing inside of her.

Yoosung joined her in the bedroom, buttoning his vest and arranging his bowtie. He looked at her through the reflection on the mirror, and walked to her to hug her from behind, turning his head to look at their snuggling silhouettes. His hand joined hers on her stomach, and he kissed the nape of her neck, drawing a chuckle out of her.

 

"You look dashing today, love" he said.

"And you look handsome as ever. I have to be careful Echo Girl doesn't try to steal you away when I have my back turned" she teased.

"No chance. I have eyes only for my wife."

"She must be quite the lucky one."

"Indeed, she is. I think she's head over heels for me." Yoosung said playfully, leaving small kisses along her nape and shoulders. They remained like that for a few minutes, until he felt her suddenly tense in his arms. He held her tighter and whispered reassuringly "What's wrong?"

 

She took his hand and dragged it across her stomach, as if she was looking for something. What, she already felt a kick? Wasn't it too soon? Their hands stilled above the right side of her groin.

 

"Can... can you feel it?" She whispered.

"No? What do you feel, honey?" Yoosung replied, feeling is heart beating faster.

"I... it's there. I can feel it. Like... it tickles? I feel something tickling inside. It’s making bubbles." tears formed in her eyes and she wiped them with a hand "Oh god, there go the hormones..."

Yoosung laughed in her neck and made her turn around to hug her tight against him "Don't cry, MC, you're going to ruin your make up." He gently rocked her, shifting his weight from one leg to the other, until he felt her breath slow down.

“I can feel it…” she muttered so low that he wasn’t sure he had heard it correctly.

 

\--

 

            As expected, all the guests were already there when they arrived. After the success that was the first RFA party MC had organised, they had decided to hold one twice a year. Three times when they were lucky. If they were not as grandiose as Rika’s, MC’s had gradually become bigger, gathering even more guests and influence over the years. She had become the figurehead of RFA. She had gotten used to the fact some guests compared her to Rika – which could be expected, since she had taken over her path – but had quickly showed that they were different, even if they shared the same goal. She had even received some praise from a few people saying that they actually preferred working with her than with the late party coordinator. Which was flattering but at the same time a bit sad.

 

            V, as always, made his welcome speech to officially announce the beginning of the party. As the whole room applauded once he finished speaking, he walked to the edge of the stage and held his hand out to MC to help her climb the couple of wooden stairs that led to it. Speeches always made her nervous, but she always looked for the RFA members at the back of the room for support. Zen would thumb up at her, Jumin and Jaehee would smile, Seven would improvise a small choreography. Yoosung would simply nod at her with an encouraging smile. That was all she needed before she took a breath and greeted the entire assembly, listed all the donations and improvements that had been done since the last party, thanked the guests for their involvement in the association, and wished them a Merry upcoming Christmas. Her speeches were never really long, but always had a lot of impact. She worked a lot on them to make sure they were flawless. She had even asked Zen some advice to make sure her voice would carry and sound confident.

 

            Yoosung offered her his arm as she got off the stage, and both walked to their group of friends. A waiter was giving them flutes of champagne by the time they joined them.

 

“Great speech, MC” Jumin complimented with a warm smile.

“For once I agree with him” Zen added, and winked at her “you look gorgeous, darling.”

“Thank you.” She replied with a bright smile.

 

The waiter handed her and her husband champagne, and she took the flute before Yoosung could say anything. He frowned faintly at her, and she made a face that clearly said “I’m just doing it for etiquette and _no_ I won’t drink it please relax”, before focusing back on everyone and raising her glass.

 

“Congrats on making this party a success!” she chirped “To RFA, cheers!”

“Cheers!”

 

They all clinked their flutes and started drinking, except for MC who simply kept her glass in her hand and watched them do with an expression full of fondness, Yoosung pulling her closer to him by the shoulder. She noticed that Jumin also checked on her by the corner of the eye and nodded at her faintly, and she shook her head with an amused sigh. Those boys would never stop being protective of her.

 

“You’re not drinking, MC?” Zen asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

“Oh, I don’t feel like drinking actually.” She lied.

“Oh~? That’s strange of you, MC~” Seven teased, wiggling his eyebrows “What’s gotten into you?”

 

MC and Yoosung looked at each other, having a silent conversation that puzzled the others. He shrugged, she giggled, and handed him her glass before crossing her arms in her back with a beaming smile.

 

“Yoosung and I are going to have a baby~”

 

            Zen and Seven’s gasps of surprise were even funnier than she had imagined. V lifted an eyebrow, pleasantly surprised, while Jumin kept on drinking with a small smile.

 

“I guess that explains your recent behaviour.” Jaehee grinned “Congratulations.”

“What do you mean?” MC asked.

“Your mood swings, the fact you get tired faster than the usual, small details that I noticed at work and that made me curious. But now you mention it, it sounds evident.”

Seven thrust his glass into V’s hands and dramatically kneeled in front of MC, tackling her into a hug and pressing his ear against her stomach “Agent 707 to PCJ, can you hear me? If you do please knock three times!”

MC burst into laughter and ran her hand in the hacker’s hair “What are you doing?”

“Just saying hello.” He mumbled, frowning with a pout as he tried to listen to the womb.

“What does PCJ even mean?” Yoosung groaned with a heavy eye rolling.

“Party Coordinator Junior, you didn’t leave me enough time to come up with a good name!”

“God, you’re such an idiot.” Zen said, looking up dramatically, and walked to MC to pull her into a warm embrace.

“Zen, can’t you keep a little bit of decency?” Jumin complained, while Jaehee chuckled.

“If I had known that I would end up being sandwiched between Zen’s and MC’s crotches, I would have asked the author to at least rate this as Explicit.” Seven snorted.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Zen groaned.

 

The current situation was kind of comical, with MC standing, Seven hugging her hips and Zen hugging her normally, although bending awkwardly since he was standing behind his friend. She tried her best to not laugh, but in vain. She hugged Zen back tightly to muffle her chuckles in his shoulder.

 

 “Can’t wait to teach you how to prank your dad.” Seven chirped then kissed her stomach with a loud “muah”

“Congrats.” Zen said before kissing MC’s cheek.

 

A beeping sound made the three of them freeze. Zen slowly turned his head to glare at Jumin, who was still holding his phone while sipping his champagne as if nothing, a hint of a smug smile on his lips.

 

“You bastard.” The actor grunted.

“Don’t worry dude, that pic’s gonna be all blurry anyw-“

 

A flash cut Seven mid sentence, before a giggle came to their ears.

 

“My my, that picture is perfect!” Rui commented, checking the shot on the screen of his camera.

“Good job, Rui.” V said as he held out his hand in the air, keeping the flutes he was holding in his other hand.

The photographer high-fived him with a crooked grin “You’re welcome.”

 

Seven tilted his head up, making eye contact with Zen who was looking down at him.

 

“Did we just get trolled by _V_?”

 

\--

 

            Christmas went smoothly, and the soon-to-be family had travelled around to pay visits to their respective relatives, announcing the good news with a spark of nervousness inside their chests. Luckily, their parents felt incredibly happy, and MC’s mother had cried endlessly for half an hour, bringing her daughter to the verge of crying as well in the process. They had spent New Year’s Day at their place, with the other members of RFA – except for V who had mysteriously disappeared again – and she had watched with great enthusiasm Zen complaining about Jumin, who simply glared back at him in silence; not that it was different than the usual, but there was something in the way they looked at each other that showed a sort of tension… She had blamed it on the alcohol, leaning on the couch with her chin propped up on her right hand, the other one absentmindedly brushing against her belly. Her bare feet had been resting on Yoosung’s lap, who had been laughing at one of Luciel’s jokes.

 

Her first ultrasound was scheduled for January 6th. She was nervous yet terribly excited. She couldn’t wait to see her baby for real.

She was sitting in the waiting room, her right leg bouncing nervously as she checked her phone for the seventh time in the last ten minutes. Where was Yoosung? He said he would join her after he closed the clinic for lunch. She sighed and crossed her arms, chewing her lower lip in attempt to calm down her nerves. She could go alone, of course, but she wanted him to be with her. At least for the first appointment. Especially since the gynaecologist was one of those Jumin had recommended; in other words, she felt out of place in that hospital that seemed to be made only for rich people. It was an odd feeling.

 

            Her ears pricked up at the echoing sound of heels on the tiled floor. She instantly recognised Jumin as he walked to her, his black winter coat and red scarf folded on his left arm.

 

“Jumin? What are you doing here?” She asked, a bit puzzled. She half expected to see the rest of RFA popping up behind him, and could easily imagine the doctor’s puzzled look as they did an ultrasound on a woman surrounded by an army of worried people, bickering and making jokes at each other.

“Yoosung asked me to come.”

She blinked “Uh?” She checked her phone. She had no message from her husband.

“He called me to say he has an emergency at the clinic and that he couldn’t come.” Jumin explained “And since it is part of our agreement that he has to keep me updated on your state, he thought it would be better for me to be there rather than let you go to the appointment alone.”

“Oh… Thanks for coming, then.” She smiled and patted the seat next to her “Sit down. We still have a few minutes to wait.”

 

            They spent the following fifteen minutes in silence, Jumin checking and answering his work-related emails from his phone, while MC tried to read one of the old magazines available in the waiting room. She always laughed at the fact that, for most of the celebrity magazines at least, they were never up to date. The one she was holding was at least four or five years old, given the information she found in it.

Somehow, having a friend by her side helped her relax more than she had expected. Suddenly, she ticking sound of the clock was less oppressive, the white walls less intimidating, the paintings hung on them less haughty.

 

“Are you nervous?” Jumin asked without looking up at his phone.

“A bit, yes…”

“I’m sorry you have to do this with me instead of Yoosung.”

“It’s fine. He was right; I’d rather have you than go alone.” She smiled.

 

\--

 

“Here, can you see it?” The doctor said, brushing a strand of caramel hair that had fallen from her bun behind her ear.

“Wow, it’s my baby??” MC chirped as she tried to not move about in enthusiasm.

 

            The foetus was clearly visible on the screen, and she could even make out what was supposed to be its arms and legs. The gynaecologist pointed at darker patches in its stomach, indicating that some organs had already started to form.

 

“Is its heart beating already?”

 

            MC looked at Jumin curiously. She was kind of surprised he would ask questions, but she noticed the faint light making his eyes shine. Was he… enthusiastic?

 

“It is” the woman replied with a smile “it’s 53 millimetres long for now, which is a good thing. The foetus seems to present no sign of malformation or anomaly. The nuchal scan is good, so there are no signs of Down syndrome at this stage. Of course we will have to check again during the next appointment.”

“That’s a relief.” MC sighed “Yoosung is going to be so happy.”

“It’s a shame he couldn’t come, really.” Jumin shook his head.

MC took his hand, drawing his attention to her “Do you mind taking a picture to send it to him?”

He squeezed it faintly, a gesture that was meant to reassure her as he smiled “Of course, if the doctor is okay with it.”

“Sure, no problem.” The woman said, stilling the machine at a good angle on MC’s stomach so they could see the foetus clearly.

 

            Jumin took a couple of pictures and MC crossed her fingers, praying that they would not come out too blurry. He nodded as he lowered his phone, letting the doctor resume her work. MC looked at the screen pensively, totally amazed by the fact she could finally see her baby. A familiar vibrating sound in her bag, followed by a beep, made her snap back to reality. She gave Jumin a quizzical look.

 

“Did you just post the pictures in the chatroom?” She questioned.

“Seemed easier like this.” He shrugged. She could see the hint of an amused smile on his lips.

“Oh my god. You’re about to trigger the apocalypse.” She whispered in terror.

 

The endless series of beepings that started coming from her bag proved she was right.

 

\--

 

[707] O

[707] M

[707] G

[Zen] JUMIN! WHAT IS THIS?

[Jumin Han] MC’s ultrasound. The doctor said the foetus is fine.

[Zen] WTF

[707] Wait, how come you have these pics?

[Zen] Where’s Yoosung?!

[Zen] YOOSUNG! WHY IS JUMIN WITH YOU?

[707] You could have told us it was a RFA gathering!

[Jaehee Kang] It is not a gathering, Luciel, it’s a medical appointment. I’m not sure MC would like all of us to barge into the room to see the baby.

[Zen] Then how come that trust fund asshole gets to see the preview showing and not us??

[Jumin Han] Because MC likes me more than you, apparently.

[Zen] You bastard

[Zen] 눈_눈

[707] Wow, savage~

[Jaehee Kang] That being said, Zen’s question is legitimate. How come you’re with them?

[Jumin Han] Yoosung got an emergency at the clinic and asked me to take care of MC for him.

[707] Gaaah… I wish I could be there too~

[Zen] … You weren’t planning to ask the doctor to do an ultrasound on you, were you?

[707] Of course I was! I want to see what’s inside my head!

[Jaehee Kang] Probably nothing worth mentioning.

[707] .( ̵˃﹏˂̵ )

[707] So mean!

[707] I wanted to say hello to the baby too!!

 

            MC covered her mouth, trying to muffle her loud snort. The conversation went on, and it would take a while to read all the things that had been said during her absence. As years passed, Jumin had slowly opened up to her, and become less serious when he chatted with the others, to Zen’s dismay. She seemed to be the only one to laugh at his jokes – which only encouraged him to continue doing so – but watching him teasing the actor endlessly had become a new hobby for the other members, especially Seven. Not that his own regular pranking of Yoosung stopped, but it was fun to watch the others arguing more than the usual.

 

            She turned her head to the entrance door when she heard the clicking sound of Yoosung’s key’s from outside. He opened it with a loud sigh, dropping his bag next to the coat rail, and she crossed her arms on the backrest to look at him tenderly.

 

“Welcome home, Yoosung!” She chirped.

“Hi honey.” She said, tottering to her and cupping her face to kiss her forehead “How’s your day been?”

“Probably better than yours.” She giggled and patted the space next to her on the couch “Come sit with me, you must be exhausted.”

Yoosung didn’t need more convincing to walk around the couch and collapse in it, kicking his shoes off lazily “I am. I’m sorry I stood you up, but there’s this client who brought me a dog with a bad burn and-“

“It’s okay, honey, I understand.” She tilted her head to the side “You haven’t opened the chatroom yet, have you?”

“Uh? No? I haven’t looked at my phone for a while actually.”

“Perfect then.” MC said, bending over the coffee table to pick up a large green envelope and handing it to him “Because I have something to show you~.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried really hard to not laugh while writing this, between breaking the fourth wall and writing the chatroom... But oh well. Hope you guys had fun reading it too.
> 
> Oh, I forgot to mention it, but since the number of ultrasounds vary from one country to another, I have to specify that in France we do three of them, at 3,6 and 8 months to be specific :)


	4. Fourth Month

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Did he just say that Jumin was his friend?” The hacker commented, leaning towards MC.
> 
> She dramatically brought a hand to her lips “I think he did? Oh my god~”
> 
> Zen rolled his eyes “Guys, seriously?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! Uni got in the way and I also had other fics I was working on haha.  
> If you guys have ideas or headcanons to share, don't hesitate to reach me on tumblr! : http://trcelyneart.tumblr.com/
> 
> I'd like to thank ItsMeGeronimo for sharing her knowledge about Korea and the name suggestions (and sorry again for the westernisation!). I also used some writing prompts from Tumblr she suggested (I think you'll easily spot them tbh)
> 
> Have fun reading!

            Yoosung had been thinking of moving out way before his wife got pregnant. The idea had sprouted in his mind slowly, when he realised that he was living way too close to the clinic, and that one thing leading to another, he ended up staying past his working hours most of the time. MC had not complained about it – for she was often working overtime as well – but that didn’t prevent him from growing annoyed with it. He wanted to enjoy his free time with his wife and friends, and even if he loved his job, he wanted to draw a line between it and his private life.

So when he had found that cute house on an estate agency website while working on his laptop, he had not hesitated a single second.

 

            MC had not seen it coming, but the idea of moving out of the city pleased her a lot. Yoosung had called her over when she was preparing dinner, shown her a house in the middle of apple orchards, and she had instantly fallen in love with it. It needed a bit of reparations and fresh paint, but otherwise it looked good. The huge oak tree in the garden was a plus, for they could easily build a hut in it. It was a little detail, but of importance in her eyes.

 

            They had scheduled an appointment with the agency, visited the house, and bought it on a whim. They had enough savings and a stable income to pay for the loan without too many problems. The first floor consisted on a large living room that gave onto the kitchen, a room that would become Yoosung’s office, and a garage, while the second floor had three rooms and the bathroom. The last one would serve as a storage room, unless – or until – they decided to have a second child.

 

            MC laced her fingers under her belly, as if she was holding it up, and smiled proudly at her new home. Well, they had not moved in yet, but it was still her new home.

 

“MC, don’t stay outside! You’re going to catch a cold!” Zen advised as he dragged an extra heating inside.

“Yup!” She said as she joined him and closed the door behind her.

 

            The RFA had gathered to help them with the necessary work, and would come the following weekend to move their things out. Since it was mid-February, days were still cold but the sun was there, warming up the concrete of their patio. The electricity and water functioned normally, but the heating oil tank was empty - the oil would be delivered during the following week - forcing them to work with extra heatings for a while. Zen lifted the one he was holding and went upstairs to plug it, while Yoosung was checking if they had not forgotten any tools or materials. Jumin and Seven were finishing carrying cans of paint, and Jaehee was putting a plank on two trestles to make a makeshift table, on which she would spread an old sheet and lay the cakes she had baked the day before, as a reward for their hard work.

 

            The tasks were easily split up: Yoosung would clean up the spiderwebs throughout the house, Jaehee would scrub the dust and limescale off of the bathroom, kitchen counters and sink, MC would clean the windows and swipe the floors – Yoosung had forbidden her to lift anything heavy, like the doting father he was – Seven would check the electrical system, while Zen and Jumin would give the bedrooms upstairs a fresh layer of white paint.

            Seven pulled Bluetooth speakers out of his bag, as well as his laptop. He settled everything next to Jaehee’s food and put some music on, letting the songs shuffling randomly. Too busy checking the glass door of the kitchen as she took a step back, MC bumped into Zen with a yelp of surprise as he was passing behind her, and he caught her to steady her.

 

“Are you okay, MC?” he inquired with a worried frown.

“Y-yeah, sorry Zen.” She mumbled as she turned around. Her eyes fell on his shirt “Uh, Zen? Why aren’t you wearing a t-shirt or an old sweater? You might stain it while painting.”

“Because that guy is too full of himself, he likes to dress to impress.” Jumin commented as he threw the paint rollers at him, before lifting the heavy paint can.

“I don’t “dress to impress”, Jumin.” Zen said with a proud smile while catching them “I _dress to depress_. I want to look so good that people hate themselves. Starting with you.”

 

Jumin rolled his eyes and MC burst into laughter.

 

\--

 

“MC, look!”

 

Seven’s enthusiastic tone made her smile, and she put her rag down to join him, resting her hands on her knees to have a better look at what he was doing, for he was sitting cross-legged on the dusty floor.

 

“Yes, Luciel?”

“I wanted to give domotics a try, that stuff’s funny to play with.” He explained, lifting his head to look at her.

“What are domotics exactly?” she asked, leaning on her hands to sit down by his side carefully.

“The other word is home automation. Basically, with just a remote, you can control all the electrical system of the house. You can even close the blinds in a single move! But we’ll have to install all the necessary electric motors and stuff to make it work. So for now it’ll be just the lights and power outlets. A lot of modern apartments have this kind of system.” He said, a small light shining in his eyes. He did not admit he had hacked the one in Jumin’s penthouse just for the fun of it, and had opened the blinds in the middle of the night more than once.

“Wow, that’s so cool!” MC chirped “Is it working?”

“Well” Seven shrugged and clicked on a few panels on his laptop “Let’s give it a try.”

 

He clicked again and both lifted their heads to check any change. The light in the living room was still on, and the small icon on the computer screen indicating the device was plugged and charging showed that the power outlets were also working.

 

However, the loud groans of complain coming from upstairs proved that he had turned the lights off up there.

 

“Yay! Seems like it works!” Seven said, raising a fist in the air.

“And that it needs some adjustments!” MC giggled.

 

\--

 

“Jumin, would it kill you to be nice and stop making fun of me?” Zen groaned.

“What? What did I do this time?” The corporate heir replied, rolling his eyes.

“Stop turning the light off and on!”

“And why would I even do that in the first place? I’m working!”

 

Both glared at each other, Jumin standing near the door and Zen painting the window frame. Why did this jerk keep on playing with the lights? Not knowing how to paint a wall properly and needing his help to even understand the concept that _no, you don’t dip the paint roller directly into the can, you have to get rid of the extra paint into the tray first_ was already a true pain, and now he was fooling around? That guy did not just come from another background. He came from another planet. Probably the same as Seven’s. Maybe rich people were actually coming from outer space, that would explain a lot. Jumin did not even know how to use a vending machine, and yet Yoosung had asked him to paint a wall? He did not know if his friend trusted him a bit too much or if it was just pure madness, to be fairly honest. And why of all people did _he_ have to work with _him_? Wasn’t he aware of the fact that Zen hated that ridiculously gorgeous unimpressed pout on that idiot’s handsome face?

…Wait, was that relevant?

 

“What’s wrong, you two?” Yoosung asked, passing his head through the doorframe and pulling the actor out of his internal monologue “We can hear you in the entire house.”

“J-Jumin keeps on playing with the lights!” Zen complained, pointing his brush at the corporate heir.

“I told you that it wasn’t me!” He commented.

 

As if to prove his point, the light turned off and on several times in a row, although no one touched the switch. Yoosung heard giggles coming from the stairs and walked there to take a look, and crossed his arms upon seeing his wife and Seven hiding there, him holding his laptop, and her muffling her laughter with both hands. He opened his mouth to say something, but she asked him to keep silent with a gesture of the hand. More arguing came from the room the others were in, Jumin asking for an apology since Zen had falsely accused him, and Zen refusing to do so because he had too much pride for that, and because nothing proved that he had not done it the previous times. It was only when Jaehee intervened that the two of them calmed down.

 

Well, threatening to not give them cake was quite efficient. Seven enjoyed it a lot, until she threatened to take away his piece too, and he swore with a pout that he would not prank Zen and Jumin anymore. For now.

 

\--

 

“Have you ever accidentally befriended someone who is very _very_ irritating?”

 

MC and Seven looked at each other curiously, puzzled by Zen’s question. The actor sighed loudly as he sat cross legged on the old sheet Yoosung had spread on the patio, facing them. Since the weather was a bit warm, they had improvised a picnic outside instead of eating indoors. They had put their food at the centre of the makeshift tablecloth, the three of them waiting for the others to finish cleaning up and joining them.

 

“What do you mean?” MC asked, unclasping the suspenders of her jeans overalls to take off her sweater, Seven holding her t-shirt underneath in place as she did so.

“Jumin. He’s driving me crazy.”

“Did he just say that Jumin was his friend?” The hacker commented, leaning towards MC.

She dramatically brought a hand to her lips “I think he did? Oh my god~”

Zen rolled his eyes “Guys, seriously?”

MC giggled as she rearranged her suspenders “Jokes aside, how do you “accidentally” befriend someone?”

“I had never planned on befriending him?”

“Zen, sweetheart, friendships are never planned. Except with Luciel. I set a trap and lured him in with cat pics because I saw the perfect partner in troll in him.”

Seven gasped dramatically and put a hand over his heart “MC! So it means… That you used me all this time…? I feel so betrayed!”

“Why do I even bother talking to you?” Zen mumbled to himself as he leaned on his hands to enjoy the sun. Or tried to, for he bumped into something which cast a shadow on his face.

 

            His eyes met Jumin’s as he lifted his head and he barely held back a disgusted expression. Speak of the devil. He had bumped into his legs. And why was he standing behind him in the first place? Wasn’t the patio large enough already?

 

“Don’t you see you’re blocking the sun?” He groaned.

Jumin lifted an eyebrow at him “Am I?”

“Yes, you are. Move!”

 

            A faint smirk stretched the man’s lips as he stepped aside, and Zen’s cheeks turned warmer. It was because of the sudden sunlight on his cheeks, right?

The scene didn’t go unnoticed by the other two, who watched it with great attention. Seven bit his lower lip to not burst into laughter, while MC dug her nails in her palms to hold back her giggle. It was only after Jumin sat down at Zen’s right – and at a more than respectable distance – that she leaned towards her partner in crime.

 

“I bet three boxes of Honey Buddha Chips that these two are gonna fuck before my delivery.” She whispered, holding her hand out to him.

“Deal.” He replied, high-fiving her with a crooked grin.

 

\--

 

            Luckily for Yoosung, the rest of the day went smoothly. He was pretty sure that Jaehee would snap at some point – and God knew she had patience – between Zen and Jumin’s bickering and Seven’s constant pranking, but since they actually did her work while doing so, she could not be _too_ mad at them. And it made MC smile. At least now the house was clean and fixed, there were a few things to adjust but he could do it on his own, and they only needed to move their belongings the following weekend. Which, he hoped, would be less of an expedition.

 

            It was almost half past ten when they finally came back to their apartment. He was exhausted, but the feeling of satisfaction was bigger. He didn’t even want to bother deciding who would get to shower first and dragged his wife to the bathroom with him without further inquiry. Not that she complained; she loved when he washed her hair.

 

            Both of them were half asleep by the time they reached their bed. He crawled under the covers with a sigh of relief, but she, however, sat on her side of the bed and looked for something in the drawer of her bedside table.

 

“Honey? What are you-“ He cut himself to yawn loudly “What are you doing?”

“I’m looking for something.”

 

            He watched her do with half closed lids, and nuzzled against her hip when she leaned against the headboard. She ran a hand in his hair, requesting his attention. He sat up lazily and looked at her.

 

“Yes, MC?”

“Happy Valentine’s Day.” She said as she handed him a small box.

 

Oh. He had totally forgotten about that. He thanked her and kissed her cheek, then opened the box. There was a collection of chocolates, of various shapes and flavours.

 

“I’m sorry I couldn’t prepare hand-made ones like I do every year” she apologised, scratching her neck “With all the work we had to do this week for the house and moving out, I didn’t get the time.” She giggled as he ate one “Luciel suggested making a chocolate 3D print of the foetus, but I turned down the idea. It would have been gross.”

He made a face, although a small snort escaped his lips “Indeed. But really, I’m fine with those. To be honest, I had totally forgotten about Valentine’s Day too.” He took another chocolate and poked her lips with it, and he smiled when she ate it “I love you, MC.”

“I love you too.” She replied while chewing.

 

            Yoosung put the box on his bedside table and cupped her face to kiss her gently. She tasted like chocolate, which did not displease him in the slightest. He kissed her again and lied back down on his stomach, MC doing the same on her back and looking at the ceiling. She patted the mattress, looking for his hand and laced their fingers when she found it. He absentmindedly played with her wedding ring. The light was warm around her silhouette, like a golden halo. He could easily see the shape of her belly now. It was not big and round yet, but it was there. The little human being they had made together. MC’s hips had become a bit larger, and he could definitely say that her chest was slightly bigger too. Slowly but surely, she had put weight on, and he couldn’t help but find her curves enticing.

 

“What are you thinking about?” She ended up asking, although she did not tear her gaze away from the ceiling.

“About how beautiful you are.” He replied, stating the obvious.

She turned to him, her eyes meeting his “Am I?”

“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” He repeated as he wriggled his way closer to kiss he tip of her nose. He brushed the back of his hand on her cheek and she lingered on the feeling “What about you? What were you thinking about?”

“About the house. I’m trying to figure out the layout of the furniture.”

He giggled “Isn’t it a bit too early to think about it?”

 

\--

 

Thanks God she had actually figured out the layout of the furniture.

 

She was ordering the boys around like a conductor with her orchestra. For once, Jumin and Zen did not bicker, too busy following her instructions and leaving them no room to complain; neither about each other nor about her layout decisions. Yoosung knew she was capable of bossing people around, but he thought he was the only one to actually witness it… privately, to say it politely. Now he realised that if the RFA parties were so well coordinated, it was thanks to her ability to organise herself quite efficiently.

 

Jumin, Zen and Seven were in charge of moving the furniture in the truck they had borrowed – courtesy of Jumin – then into the house, while Jaehee, Yoosung and MC took care of the cardboard boxes with all their belongings. The couple had spent the week preparing them, taking advantage of the occasion to get rid of the things they didn’t need anymore, so that when the RFA showed up on Saturday at half past eight in the morning, they didn’t have much left to pack.

Between the corporate heir’s inability to hold a wheel, the hacker’s unsafe driving and the actor’s lack of driving licence, Yoosung had honestly thought they would never make it there alive. He tried to not literally eat his nails as he drove behind the truck, MC laughing eagerly at the zigzags it made on the road, while Jaehee silently prayed all the gods she knew on the backseat of their car. The arguing that was probably going on between the three men must have been hilarious to hear.

Thankfully, except the veterinarian’s sanity, nothing had been broken by the time they reached the house.

 

            Trying to move the bed upstairs was quite the expedition. The stairs were a bit narrow, the bed a bit large, and they had worked centimetre by centimetre to make it fit. By the time they managed to put it down in the future parental bedroom, they were exhausted. Everyone had participated in the adventure – except for MC – and was left shaking by the end of it. If the mattress had been there, they would have all collapsed on it without a second thought. Instead, they all lied down on the ground or against the bed; they did not even have the strength to protest when MC took a picture of them, laughing so hard her legs were about to give in.

 

            The night had fallen when the couch was finally put in the living room, marking officially the end of their move. Zen, Yoosung and Jumin collapsed on it with a sigh of relief, and Seven turned around from the TV stand he was sitting in front of and snapped a picture of them, before focusing back on plugging and setting the device along with the DVD player and home cinema. MC and Jaehee were unpacking dishes in the kitchen and putting them away in their brand new cupboards, chatting and giggling in the distance.

 

“Thanks, guys.” Yoosung yawned “I don’t know how we could have done it without you.”

“You’re welcome.” Zen said, lazily turning his head towards him.

“I still don’t understand why you refused my offer to hire movers to do the job.” Jumin commented.

“Because you’ve done a lot for us already.” Yoosung said “Plus, gathering your friends to move out is something you have to do at least once in your life!”

“I’m sure he doesn’t even know where the dishes are in his own apartment.” Zen snorted.

“I might have a maid and a cook, that doesn’t mean I don’t know where my kitchen is.” He sighed.

“Hey.” Seven cut as he leaned on a hand, tilting his head to look at them “This has nothing to do but have you thought about names for the baby already?”

Yoosung shook his head “Not really. We had a couple of ideas but since we don’t know the gender of the baby yet, we haven’t given it too much thought for now.”

“I like Minji for a girl.” Zen said, looking up pensively and tapping his lips with a finger “Minho for a boy doesn’t sound bad either.”

Seven made a face “Dude, that’s _so_ mainstream!”

“He’s not totally wrong.” Yoosung said “We’d like something a bit more original.”

“Longcat!” The hacker suggested as if he just had the idea of the century.

 

The three men answered in a single breath.

 

“No.”

“Ooooh come on guys, you’re not funny~!” Luciel groaned.

“What about Moohyun or Gyunhye?” Jumin said, nodding to himself with a satisfied pout on his lips.

“What the fuck dude?” Zen blurted out “Even my grandmother would find those names has-been!”

“I think they sound respectable.” The corporate heir countered.

 

Yoosung sank in the couch in despair, caught between the two as they started arguing. What did he do to deserve this, really. He had led a rightful life until now. Why him?

 

“How about a more westernish name then?” Seven said, turning around and crossing his arms.

Jumin’s answer was immediate “Elizabeth?”

“Don’t you dare name their child after that damn furball!”

“But Elly sounds cute~” the hacker pouted.

 

            MC and Jaehee joined them half a minute later, concerned by the loud arguing going on. Zen had stood up and was pointing aggressively at Jumin who had not moved an inch, Yoosung was sliding down the couch in misery, and Luciel was laughing so hard he had fallen to the side, trying to catch his breath.

 

“What’s all the fuss?” Jaehee asked.

“The fuss is that this jerk shouldn’t be allowed to have kids _ever_!” Zen complained dramatically “Seriously, who would name their son Moohyun?? Or Elizabeth??”

“Technically, Elizabeth is a beautiful name.” MC said, before smirking faintly “Aren’t you just against the fact that it has a lot of symbolism for Jumin?”

 

Zen opened his mouth to protest, but no sound came out. He blabbered something, his cheeks turning red, and a hint of a satisfied smirk appeared on Jumin’s lips. MC snorted and held out her hand to him as she leaned on the backrest of the couch, and he high-fived her. Even Jaehee hid her smile behind her hand, while Luciel laughed even louder, holding his sides as he rolled on his back.

 

“None of you should ever be allowed to have children…” Yoosung muttered under his breath.

“You guys are so…!” Zen grunted “Argh, is there a word between angry and sad?”

“Malcontented, disgruntled, miserable, desolated.” Jaehee listed.

“Smad.” Luciel said before bursting into laughter again.

“Oh my GOD!” the actor whined as he looked to the ceiling dramatically.

 

Yoosung couldn’t help but laugh this time.

Gathering their friends to move out sure was once in a lifetime experience.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It seems that trolling Zen has become my hobby haha  
> No but seriously, the guy is so short-tempered it's hilarious. Also RIP Yoosung's sanity.
> 
> It feels like not much is happening in this chapter, but I swear the next one will have some cool stuff.


	5. Fifth Month

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “How does it feel?” Jaehee finally asked, putting a strand of hair behind her ear.  
> “What do you mean?” MC replied, lifting an eyebrow at her.  
> “To be pregnant. To know that you’re going to be a mother. To… to be aware that there’s life growing inside of you? It must be amazing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a lot of Seven in this chapter haha, I almost forgot Yoosung is the focus here.  
> Sorry for the late update, I have half a dozen fics going on at the same time, plus uni that got in the way.  
> I am currently playing Jaehee's route, so I took liberties with her since I don't really know what we learn about her. Well, I already mixed some things up since she has the café in this timeline.
> 
> Have fun reading and don't hesitate to comment!

            MC was supposed to be on maternity leave only starting from mid-April. However, after a short trip to the hospital because of a mild pain she had felt in her stomach, the doctor had advised she did not move around too much. She couldn’t understand; she had been careful all this time, how come she had to stay at home and wait for the _next four months_?

Her appointment with the gynaecologist a few days later confirmed her worries.

 

“There is nothing wrong with the foetus, so rest assured.” She said as she slowly moved the transducer on her skin, keeping a close eye on the screen on which the ultrasound was displayed.

“So what happened, then?” MC asked, refraining herself from biting her lower lip.

“Given the symptoms you described, I think they were Braxton Hicks contractions, they’re not dangerous.” She turned to her and smiled reassuringly “They are commonly called practice contractions. To make it simple, these are contractions you can feel throughout the pregnancy, but there is no cervical dilatation. Your body is preparing itself for the labor, to put it simply.”

“I’ve never heard of it.” MC admitted, fidgeting with her wedding ring with her thumb.

“Not every woman feels them, actually. It often goes unnoticed, but in some cases like yours one can experience some pain. What was unusual is that yours was a bit longer than the usual. I suggest you go on maternity leave a bit sooner than expected, just in case.” She turned the device off and wiped the gel off of MC’s belly “We’ll also schedule the second ultrasound soon. Does that sound good?”

“Can’t we do the entire check-up now?” MC asked.

The woman smiled and played with a loose strand of caramel hair that had fallen from her bun “Don’t you want your husband to see?”

 

Yoosung couldn’t come because of his job, and neither did Jumin. She had gone to the appointment alone, her stomach in knots at the idea of learning some bad news. But given the sincere smile on the doctor’s face, she knew she had nothing to worry about.

 

\--

 

[MC]

False alarm, guys!!

 The baby is fine!

[Jaehee Kang]

(✿◠‿◠)

I’m truly relieved.

[Zen] Really?? What happened to you then?

[MC]

False contractions.

[Zen]

( ꒪Д꒪)ノ

What do you mean??

[MC]

The doctor said my body is getting prepared for the labor.

 I guess I’m rehearsing too haha

[Jaehee Kang] 눈_눈

*707 has entered the chatroom*

[707]

MC !

I’m glad PCJ is doing well!

That little fella sure knows how to prank already haha

[MC]

 haha exactly

[Zen]

…

Really, guys?

Although I have to admit I get the rehearsing part though

[Jaehee Kang]

Anyway, what are you going to do now? Is there anything specific you have to do to avoid this?

[MC]

Stay hydrated and lie down whenever I feel a contraction, basically. I’ll explain you better tomorrow. I gotta go, Yoosung’s back. See you later, guys!

 

 

            MC put her phone down on the coffee table and turned around to cross her arms on the backrest of the couch, looking at her husband with loving eyes as he closed the entrance door behind him with a tired sigh. He tottered his way to her and kissed her, mumbling something that sounded like a “good evening” against her lips, and she cupped his cheek.

 

“Tired?” She asked, worry filling her voice.

“A bit.” He replied, leaning into the touch and looking at her through his half-closed lids.

“I saw the doctor today.”

“Oh, right.”

 

Not even bothering walking around the couch, he climbed over the backrest and let himself fall by her side with a huff. He crawled his way to her and wrapped his arms around her, resting his face against her stomach.

 

His voice was muffled against her belly as he spoke “Tell me.”

She combed his hair with her fingers, massaging his scalp until she saw his shoulders relax “She said it’s a common thing, just that it hurt a bit more than the usual in my case. But both of us are fine.”

“Thanks god…” he sighed in relief.

“I also booked the next appointment with her… Will you come with me this time?”

“I’ll take the day off.” He promised, then lifted her sweater to kiss her belly “Don’t scare dad like this anymore, sweetheart.”

“Yoosung…” she trailed off.

 

            He lifted his head to look at her, and saw her pained expression, her brow furrowed and her lips pinched. He sat up properly and brushed a hand in her hair softly. She leaned into the touch with a sigh.

 

“What’s wrong?” He asked.

“She asked me to go on maternity leave now, just in case.” She mumbled, looking down, her gaze absentmindedly focusing on his belt buckle.

He tilted his head to the side, a bit confused “Well, is it a problem?”

“I’m just… Not used to stay at home and do nothing. The idea of it freaks me out. I hate to stay shut up at home all day long, so doing that for four months? I’m going to turn crazy if I do.” She started fidgeting with her fingers “I don’t want to be a burden, or to sit around and wait until the baby comes. I just can’t.”

“Oh, MC~.” He purred as he pulled her into a comforting hug “It’s going to be okay, I promise. We can ask the others if you can hang out with them from time to time, don’t you think? And you can still go to the café!”

 

She only gave him a weak hum as an answer.

 

\--

 

Seven was more than okay with MC hanging out at his place. Not that he actually had a lot of time for her, so she would just stay alone most of the time, but knowing that there was at least someone else with her was already a good thing. Plus, if she was convincing enough, she could lure him out of his cave of a computer room and convince him to play video games with her. Or something of the sort.

 

“I’ll pick you up as soon as I’m finished.” Yoosung said as she opened the door of the car when he dropped her in front of the bunker.

“Okay. Have a nice day, honey.” MC said, leaning closer to peck his lips, then got out.

 

She waited for the car to be out of her sight to make her way to Seven’s bunker. She was not really a fan of underground places, but it was not as suffocating as she had thought it would be the first time she had come. It’s just that it _really_ needed to be ventilated, and without windows, it was kind of impossible. She smoothed the sleeves of her coat as she climbed down the few steps that led to the door, then rang. She waited, in hope Seven would open the door before it-

 

_Pass code required: Please say “I love Elizabeth 3 rd” in Arabic._

 

She rolled her eyes. Couldn’t he at least change the language from time to time? Switch to Gaelic, French, Latin, Brazilian maybe? Be more creative.

 

She crossed her arms “You’ll have to be more precise, there are several variations of Arabic. Are we talking about classic Arabic? Modern standard Arabic? Algerian? Lebanese? Egyptian?” She was in the mood to troll the door, and it worked, for it unlocked a couple of seconds later.

 

She heard Seven’s laughter as he walked to her while she took her shoes off in the entrance.

 

“You just made my day, MC!” He laughed, then wrapped an arm around her shoulders to kiss her temple “How are you?”

“I’m fine. But seriously, do something about that door!” She pouted “One day you’ll find one of us carbonised on your doorstep.”

He laughed more, his head tilting back as he did so “I should!” He looked back at her, then his gazed drifted down to her belly, which he patted gently “Oh, my bad, I forgot to greet you too. Welcome to Uncle Seven’s secret hideout, PCJ!”

 

MC rolled her eyes with a smile.

 

\--

 

            His eyes were closing on their own, and Luciel pinched the bridge of his nose with a grunt. His glasses were not adapted to his eyesight anymore, making him overwork his eyes whenever he stared at his computer screens for too long. He leaned on the backrest of his chair and slowly stretched, starting from his spine to his fingertips and toes, then slumped inelegantly once he was done. He needed a break. And he had to check on MC too.

 

            He stood up and lazily walked to the bathroom to relieve himself, then wandered around the bunker in search for his best friend. He had expected her to be curled up on the couch, playing videogames, but she was nowhere to be seen. However, a nice smell was coming from his kitchen and, guided by the sugary odor, he dragged his feet there. MC was cleaning up the room – he used the kitchen so rarely that he had almost forgotten how it looked like, let alone known how the stove and oven worked – scrubbing the counter on which she had prepared her food. Given the smell and the shape of the dish in the oven, it was most likely a cake.

 

“Where did you find all these ingredients to bake something?” He asked with a giggle “I haven’t gone grocery shopping in decades.”

“Flour and sugar keep for a while, so I used what you had, and I had milk and eggs delivered.” She explained without looking at him.

He lifted an eyebrow “Delivered?”

“Your bunker is too far from town, and you seemed to be busy so I didn’t ask you to go grocery shopping with me.” She shrugged “So I got the bare necessities. You really need to stop living off chips and energy drinks, you’re going to ruin your health.”

He shrugged with a smile “I’ll just die sooner.”

She turned around and frowned at him, crossing her arms “You need to stop saying this kind of things. You talk like nobody cares about you.”

“Nobody does.”

“I do.”

 

            He sighed and she walked closer to him. She slowly snaked her arms around his chest and buried her face in the crook of his neck. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and squeezed her against him, breathing the smell of her shampoo in.

 

“I care about you, okay?” She repeated.

“Thank you.” He whispered against her hair. He let out a soft chuckle “It’s weird, it feels like I can’t hug you properly with your belly in the way.”

Her shoulders shook as she laughed in his neck “Well, sorry if there’s a passenger.”

“…Can I touch it?”

 

            She let go of him and looked at his eyes. He was smiling, but there was something sad in his gaze. Fear, also. He had not shared a lot about his past during all these years they had been friends, but bit by bit, she had learnt some things about him. One of them being that he had an abusive mother and that he had somehow escaped with the help of V. There was something else, something way deeper and darker, but she had not managed to get him to talk about it yet. His tragic backstory was really hard to unlock. His vision of pregnancies, giving life and being a parent were probably distorted, and he wanted to confront the truth by himself. Or so she supposed. She smiled at him and grabbed his hand. He let her pull him towards the couch, where she made him sit, then sat next to him, tucking a leg under the other and facing him. She held her hand out to him.

 

“Don’t be afraid.” She whispered.

 

Hesitantly, he put his hand in hers and she lifted her sweater – one of Yoosung’s actually, with “SKY University” embroidered on it with the year of his graduation – until it rested on the top of her stomach, then gently pressed his hand on her belly, keeping it in place with hers. Her skin was soft and warm. Some stretch marks were forming under her navel. She cupped his cheek with her free hand.

 

“Tell me, what do you feel?” She asked softly.

“I feel… I don’t know.” He said with a faint frown, his gaze gliding along the round curve of her stomach “It’s… I don’t understand how… I don’t get how it’s possible. Like…” He did not seem to be convinced by his own words “There’s a little human being inside? Just …right beneath my hand?”

She giggled “There is!”

“Isn’t the room a bit narrow, though?” He joked.

She grinned playfully “Maybe I should have a couple of organs removed, then. I heard kidneys sell well on the black market.”

“I know a few people who can help with that.”

 

They looked at each other in silence, then burst into laughter in unison. She ruffled his red hair and stood up, putting a hand on his knee for leverage. As soon as she was standing, she put her hands on her lower back and stretched. Or tried to. Seven stayed on the couch, watching her walk back to the kitchen; his eyes drifted randomly when she was out of his sight, and he realised how clean the room was. No clothes on the floor, no empty cans of PhD Pepper, no Honey Buddha Chips crumbs scattered everywhere. He was sure he could hear the washing machine running in the distance. He frowned with a pensive pout.

 

“MC~?” He called.

“Yes?” She replied from the kitchen.

“Did Mrs. Vanderwood come today?”

“She didn’t, why the question?”

“This place is too clean, it’s odd.” He stated.

He heard her genuine laughter “Bro, I’m the one who cleaned up!”

“What?” He suddenly sat up on the couch “Dude! Yoosung is going to kill me if he knows that you moved about all day long!”

She reappeared in the kitchen doorway, putting her hands on her hips with a blasé expression “Did you really expect me to lie on the couch and watch the ceiling all day long? I do the exact same chores at home, Luciel. I can’t work, I’m bored, you’re busy, so I find ways to distract myself. And before you say so: yes, I played video games already. But Guitar Hero is not fun when you play on your own.”

“I could have done that myself!” He whined.

She snorted “Seven, darling, we both know it’s not true. You can barely take care of yourself.”

“It’s not true!” He pouted.

She lifted an unimpressed eyebrow “Tell me, when did you last have a shower?”

He looked up, humming pensively “…I’d say three days ago.”

She sighed “And when’s the last time you changed your bed sheets?”

He burst into laughter “When’s the last time I slept in my bed, you mean?”

“You’re a disaster, Seven.”

He winked at her “But I’m _your_ disaster~.”

 

\--

 

            Birds were chirping, accompanying the distant laughter of children. Jaehee smiled and closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth of the sunlight on her face. Now days were getting warmer, her days off became more and more enjoyable since she did not have to lock herself at home. She hummed in appreciation. She loved strolls in the park near the café.

 

“A penny for your thoughts?” MC said, gently holding her closer as they walked arm in arm.

“Oh, I was just enjoying the sun.” Jaehee replied, smiling at her.

“The weather is sure getting better.” She commented.

 

            She didn’t know if it was the sunlight shining on her brown hair, or the spark in her eyes, or the way she smiled, but MC was beaming. Just looking at her made her want to smile uncontrollably. She caught her staring, and tilted her head to the side.

 

“Do I have something of my face?” she asked innocently.

Jaehee shook her head, a faint laugh escaping her lips “Not at all, I was just amazed by how… shining you are.”

“Am I?”

“Yes… Just watching you brightens my mood.”

 

MC smiled brightly at her, as she absentmindedly brushed her fingers on her stomach with her free hand.

 

“I’ve heard that it’s a hormonal thing.” She explained.

“What is?” Jaehee asked, looking ahead as they walked.

“The fact that you say I’m shining. I remember having felt it a couple of times when I saw pregnant women, I’ve heard somewhere that it’s because of the hormones.”

“That might explain a lot.”

 

            A couple of children ran past them, chasing after the electric toy car one of them one was controlling with a big red remote. Their laughs filled the comfortable silence that settled between the two women.

 

“How does it feel?” Jaehee finally asked, putting a strand of hair behind her ear.

“What do you mean?” MC replied, lifting an eyebrow at her.

“To be pregnant. To know that you’re going to be a mother. To… to be aware that there’s life growing inside of you? It must be amazing.”

She smiled at her friend’s genuine interest “It’s hard to describe. I’m glad it takes nine months though, because it’s a long process. I think the most awesome parts are when I feel the baby move inside.”

“Have you felt any kicks yet?”

She shook her head “I haven’t. But I’m pretty sure it’s going to happen soon.”

 

            Ahead of them, one of the children fell on his stomach, and Jaehee let go of her arm to jog by his side and help him stand up; she dusted his clothes, checked if he was not hurt, and the child scarpered a few seconds later with a mumbled “thank you”. MC put her hands in the pockets of her coat as she joined her friend.

 

“I didn’t know you had a way with children.” She commented as Jaehee pulled on the hem of her coral pants as she stood back up, wiggling her hips in the process to put them back in place. She had forgotten to wear a belt and they kept riding down her hips.

“Do you think I have a way with children? I’m just being nice to them.”

MC shrugged “I don’t know, I never thought you would be like that. I figured you were more of a no-child person.”

Jaehee resumed walking with a smile, and MC followed “I’m not against having children, you know? And not wanting children does not mean one has to behave badly with them. I just never happened to date someone for long enough to consider it. Back when I worked at C&R it was out of the question, my job took too much time to take care of a child properly, but now things are calmer, then why not? I just need to find someone to help me, might it be for adopting or procreating myself.”

 

MC giggled at her choice of words but did not comment further.

 

\--

 

[Zen]

Have I ever mentioned how much I can’t bear that trust fund kid?

[MC]

What have you done _again_?

[Zen]

Hey! It’s not me! It’s him!!

[Yoosung]

It’s always his fault anyway.

[MC]

Come on, tell us!

[Zen]

That jerk

He invested in the next show I’m starring in!

[Yoosung]

【・ヘ・?】

I don’t get it

Isn’t it supposed to be a good thing?

[Zen]

NO!!

[MC]

???

Why?

[Zen]

Because since he owns the whole thing now, he can do whatever he wants!

*Jumin Han entered the chatroom*

[Jumin Han]

You were dissing me.

[Zen]

You started first!!

[Jumin Han]

I do not recall dissing you.

[Zen]

You want to add your goddamn fur ball into the play!

How is that not dissing me?!

You did it on purpose!!

[Jumin Han]

It’s Elizabeth 3rd.

[Yoosung]

What, seriously?

[MC]

Seven! Bro! Get the Honey Buddha Chips ready!!

[Zen]

?

What are you talking about?

[Yoosung]

Yeah, honey, I don’t get it.

[Jumin Han]

I’ll choose to ignore this

Things always go wrong when she schemes something up with Luciel.

[MC]

Oh nothing~

I’m just leaving a message for him to see when he’ll log in later on.

[Jumin Han]

Also

From the script I read, I think your show lacked some details people might relate to.

Adding a cat into the scenes won’t change anything about the fact you have the lead role.

[Zen]

What will change is that I’ll spend the entire time sneezing, you jerk!

[Jumin Han]

Having Elizabeth 3rd with you will bring out your fair complexion, what are you complaining about?

[Zen]

…

[Yoosung]

…wow

[MC]

…

707

I stg

Get the boxes ready.

 

\--

 

            MC pinched her lips to contain her laugh as Zen paced up and down behind her, mumbling under his breath and tapping his cigarette end to make the ashes fall on the ground. The fish bread vendor handed her two buns, looking at him confusedly.

 

“What’s wrong with him? I’ve never seen him like that.” He asked.

She waved her free hand with a bright smile “Oh, nothing, he’s just a bit frustrated.”

His eyes drifted to her belly “So, when’s the little one going to show up?”

She absentmindedly brushed her hand on it “I’ve got four months more to go.”

“Well, congrats.”

 

            She thanked him with a bright smile and turned around to grab Zen by the hand, dragging him back to his underground apartment. He had not moved out of his place, despite the fact he earned a better living than before, but he did not mind. He liked the neighbourhood, and he didn’t need more than what he had anyway. She let him go once they reached the stairs that went down to the entrance door, waiting for him to finish his smoke.

 

“Don’t wait for me.” He said while exhaling slowly.

She smiled “Of course I’ll wait for you. At least I can make sure you don’t smoke another one. Didn’t you promise to quit?”

“I did, and I’ve held out since Christmas. It’s the first one I’m having in three months!

 

MC sighed but did not comment further. Was the whole deal with Jumin bothering him that much? Zen put out his cigarette and threw the end in a nearby bin, then climbed down the stairs to open the door of his place. She followed him in, watching him stretch lazily with a low moan, then let his arms fall to his sides with a sigh. She sat on the couch, folding her legs to one side, and patted the place next to her.

 

“Have a sit, Zen.” She commanded with a small smile.

 

He obeyed and plopped down next to her, his shirt riding up faintly with the move. He tugged it back down and picked one of the fish breads from her hands.

 

“Thanks for the food.” She said.

He smiled and kissed her cheek “Anything for you, babe. I haven’t eaten one in a while either.”

 

            She pulled the ends of her sleeves to cover her hands as much as possible to make a barrier between her skin and the heat of the burning bun. She blew on her food, and stopped mid-air, her mouth open, when she noticed her friend staring at her gently. She blushed faintly, confused.

 

“What?”

He shrugged “I was curious about which side you’re going to start with. I’ve heard that it says a lot about the person.”

“Oh. I see.”

 

She smiled and focused back on her food; she started taking nibbles from… the fish’s stomach. Zen made a blasé face. Of course. She noticed his expression and burst into laughter.

 

“What’s with that face?”

“Why am I not surprised by the fact you started with the stomach?”

She snorted “Starting by the head or the tail is too mainstream.”

He chuckled “My theory is that you’re probably Seven’s long lost sister.”

“What about you? Which side do you usually start with?”

“The tail.” He lifted his bun and took a bite of it to illustrate his words.

MC resumed nibbling her food “Yoosung starts with the tail too. I don’t recall having seen Jaehee eat one though…”

Zen wrapped his free hand around her shoulders, pulling her closer as he crossed his legs, chewing with a pensive hum “Mmh… I’d say the head. She’s pragmatic.”

“So if we follow that logic, Jumin would start with the head too?” She ventured.

Zen burst into laughter, his head tilting back “Come on, MC, he probably doesn’t even know what fish bread is! _Sir_ Jumin Han would never bother trying out commoner food!”

“Hey, that’s not true! We had pizza together once.” MC countered with an amused grin.

Zen looked at her in astonishment “What, really?” His expression shifted to a dubious frown as he pointed at her with his half-eaten fish “It wasn’t a commoner pizza, am I right? It was an eight star restaurant pizza.”

“Eight star restaurants don’t exist!” She chuckled, her hand brushing against her belly gently before coming back to its initial place.

“You get me.” He groaned, rolling his eyes.

“Well, actually, it was a commoner’s pizza.” she laughed at the memory “Once, he paid us a visit and my parents were there, so we invited him to stay for dinner. More like, he found himself forced to stay for dinner! We had already ordered pizzas when he dropped by, and my mother is even more stubborn than I am, so he didn’t have any other choice.”

 

            Zen tried to imagine Jumin, with his neat suit and immaculate shirt, sitting on Yoosung’s worn out couch and grunting as he desperately tried to hold his slice of pizza in place to eat it. Wiping the tomato sauce on his fingers with a tissue and a frown. Trying to understand the jokes and conversations about relatives he would never hear about again. Finding himself puzzled by their endless teasing. Zen had met her parents a couple of times already, and they sure were quite a good laugh. MC’s sense of humour did not come from nowhere, after all; she was born in a family of pranksters. Poor Yoosung.

 

“I wish I had seen that.” He finally commented.

“I might have a couple of pictures somewhere, I’ll show them to you someday.”

 

Zen snorted.

Of course he wanted to see that.

 

\--

 

Red. Blue. Red. Blue. Red. Blue. Green. Blue. Red. Blue. Green. Red. Yellow. Green. Blue. Red. Yell-

 

“Fuck.” MC mumbled between her teeth as she broke her combo.

“Haha!” Seven yelled dramatically as he put his left foot on the coffee table. He started to shake his head up and down with the music. Whenever they played Guitar Hero together, he unleashed his inner rock star and put on a show. He was unable to stay still and sit on the couch like she did.

“It’s not fair!” She pouted “You don’t have a belly in the way! Try playing with the guitar laying flat and you’ll see!”

“MC, darling, I could play with my eyes closed.” He teased.

“Expert mode?”

“Yup.”

“Wanna take bets?”

He laughed “How many boxes of Honey Buddha Chips do you want?”

She smiled, still focused on the game “Nah, I’ll think of something else.”

 

There was something she wanted, something that had tickled her insides for a while now. But she couldn’t ask anything from Seven. Not for a bet. However, she could still have a talk with him. He was the only person she felt comfortable with to address the subject.

 

“I… Can I have your opinion on something?” She ventured.

He paused the game and turned around to look at her, his hand still on the pick of the fake guitar “Is that what you want to bet?”

 

She shook her head, her lips pinched. He passed the strap above his head and put the guitar down, before sitting next to her. What was wrong with her, suddenly? She seemed fine a couple of minutes before.

 

“What’s wrong?” He asked, cocking his head in attempt to meet her eyes, hidden behind her brown bangs. She remained silent, and he turned towards her, crossing his legs “Hey, are you okay?”

“Am I desirable?”

 

Seven blinked.

 

“…What?”

“Am I desirable?” She repeated, finally looking at him.

He ignored the weird feeling in his stomach, and lifted an eyebrow “As in, sexually attractive?”

 

She nodded, a mixture of shame and guilt settling in her eyes. Oh God, wasn’t it awkward. He cleared his throat, slightly embarrassed.

 

“Why the question?”

She fidgeted with her fingers “Yoosung hasn’t touched me in months.”

“Oh.” Was all he could muster.

She let out a sad snort “Yeah, “oh”.”

 

A new silence.

 

“I thought sex was a no-no during pregnancies, though.” He said, scratching his neck “I mean, I don’t know a lot about it so I’ve always assumed this.”

“It’s not forbidden… He just keeps on saying it’s for the baby.” She sighed.

 

Luciel crossed his arms with a pensive hum. He totally understood Yoosung’s point of view; he just needed to find a good way to phrase it. She shifted beside him, and folded her legs beside her. Her hands brushed on her stomach softly.

 

“I understand his reaction.” Seven finally said.

“Well, I don’t.” She replied.

He sighed and spread his arms on either side of the backrest as he leaned against it, tilting his head back “Well, imagine you’re chilling in your room and doing your stuff. And then suddenly – bam! – you hear a loud thud and moans and weird noises. You realise your parents are literally fucking against your door. Wouldn’t that feel awkward?”

MC burst into laughter at the image “Oh my GOD Seven!!”

He giggled, happy to have brought a smile back on her face “Do you get it now?”

She wiped her eyes and snuggled closer, trying to muffle her uncontrollable laughter in his chest “Even if the baby could hear, they won’t even remember it!”

He brushed a hand along her back with a smile “Well, I guess you’ll have to be more convincing then.” He waited for her breath to slow down and her giggles to stop to speak again, heat rising in his cheeks “So… Don’t think you are the problem. A pregnant woman is… Well, sacred, in a way. I don’t know how to explain that but…” He scratched his neck, looking away from her “To answer your question… you are attractive. And you know I’ll always think so.”

“Thank you…” she whispered.

 

It was their consensus, their shared secret. The aching awareness that maybe, in another life, she would have chosen him instead. That the baby growing in her womb would be his. But she had dated and married Yoosung, and he had never questioned her decision. She had wanted him in her life, and that was all that mattered.

 

\--

 

            She did not manage to convince Yoosung to touch her. They talked about it, but he refused to go all the way with her; first for her safety – although she assured that she did not risk anything – and secondly because Seven’s metaphor was actually kind of an accurate description of how he felt. However, she managed to negotiate some kind of light touching slash foreplay, which she did not complain about. She just craved her husband’s skin against hers.

 

            Having talked a bit with Seven had helped her, actually. She had calmly confronted Yoosung that evening, explaining that she felt rejected in some way; he was quick to squeeze her tightly in his arms, apologising for making her feel so. He kept on whispering how much he loved her, how beautiful she was, but that he couldn’t bring himself to do anything to her in her condition.

 

Communication was key, after all.

 

\--

 

Zen did not even bother looking at the screen of his phone as he picked up the call, the opening song of one of his old shows playing from his back pocket.

 

“Hello?”

_“Good afternoon, Zen.”_

 

Fuck. He should have checked the screen first.

 

“What do you want?” He snarled.

_“I need your assistance.”_ Jumin said from the other side of the line in a monotonous tone.

“Urgh. What for?” Zen said, pinching the bridge of his nose as he sat on his couch. Why did he have to disturb him during one of his rare days off?

_“I would like to find MC and Yoosung a present for the birth of their baby. However, they categorically refused anything “expensive”. I kind of have troubles defining the term “expensive”, actually.”_

“Wait.” Zen rephrased “You want me to help you find a _commoner_ present for them? Is that what you mean?”

_“Well, I do not know where “expensive” starts. I supposed you could help me figure it out.”_

 

It sure wouldn’t be Seven who could help with that.

 

“Why don’t you ask Jaehee?” He sighed.

_“She is no longer my assistant. Besides, I have matters to discuss with you regarding the play. It’s two birds with one stone.”_

Zen held back a growl “Okay. Are you free tomorrow?”

_“Driver Kim is already on his way to your place to pick you up.”_

 

Zen rolled his eyes.

That goddamn _controlling_ trust fund jerk.

 

\--

 

            Luciel hummed a random song, squinting his eyes behind his glasses – he really needed to change them, this was getting out of hand – as he carefully melted the tin wire on the printed circuit board. He checked the scorching weld, then put his soldering iron aside with a satisfied grin. He rolled his chair to the other side of his desk, spinning it in the process for more dramatic effect, and inserted the board into the tiny robot. He clipped the electric wires on place, then turned the cat-shaped toy around to turn it on. It was his third prototype; MC was delighted at the idea he took the time to make a hand-made toy for the baby, but had asked him _for God’s sake_ to stop with the dangerous add-ons. He was persuaded an included taser was a great idea though. But she had insisted, so he had given in with a pout.

 

            He let the toy wander on his desk, checking if it was working correctly. He yet had to add the voice detector, so it could recognise MC and Yoosung’s voices, and later on the baby’s. He felt like he was worth something, like some part of him would remain with them if he suddenly was gone someday. Would the child be a prankster, like their mother? Or more of an adorable gullible cinnamon roll like their father? He couldn’t wait to discover it, to be honest. He had made fun of Jumin for calling the baby the “child of the RFA”, but given everyone’s involvement in MC’s pregnancy, he could not deny it was true to some extent. He caught the toy on its way to the keyboard of his computer and turned it off to make some adjustments.

 

A loud crash.

 

Seven bolted out of his room in less than a second, his instincts and training kicking adrenaline into his veins. He had not even checked the cameras. He caught sight of MC in the living room, glass and what seemed to be water shattered at her bare feet. She seemed petrified, her body unmoving, as if frozen on spot. He did not even know if she had noticed his presence, for she was facing away from him. He made slow steps to not startle her.

 

“MC…” He called with a low voice.

She gasped and turned around. Her eyes were wide, both of her hands pressed to a very specific spot on her stomach. Her lips trembled when she spoke “L-Luciel…”

He saw her hold a hand out to him, and he took it gently. She pulled him closer and put it on her skin, under her sweater. He frowned in worry, his heart pounding furiously in his ribcage “What’s wrong? Does it hurt? Do you want me to bring you to the hospital?”

“Can you feel it?” She whispered.

“Feel what?”

 

She put a finger on his lips to shut him up, silence falling between the two of them. And then, suddenly, he felt it.

 

A thud.

Just under his palm.

His eyes met hers, and he nodded slowly. Happy tears formed in her eyes as a radiant smile stretched her lips.

 

“A kick.” She murmured.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *casually slides five lines of angst in* I love Seven okay?
> 
> It was kind of hard to explain the whole hormones thing with Jaehee, but basically I got inspired by something I experienced a year ago. I had taken a gap year to take care of my health, so I took blood tests regularly (around once a month). One day, while waiting for my turn, a pregnant woman sat in the waiting room with me. She was simply smiling and checking her phone, but just looking at her made my day somehow? Like, the sight of a pregnant woman made me smile stupidly for no other reason that she was, well, pregnant. Maybe it's general, maybe it's just me, I don't know. I've always found pregnancies fascinating. When I told my mother about it, she told me it was because of her hormones or something of the sort. I don't really know.
> 
> I wanted to make this chapter longer, but I decided to stop after 14 pages :)


End file.
